When I was pregnant with my two boys, we found out the gender before they were born. We couldn’t wait to know whether we were having a boy or a girl! Now that I’m pregnant for a third time, however, I won’t know my baby’s sex until after I’ve given birth. You may think that I want to be surprised, but my desire to wait is for an entirely different reason. I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed if I find out that I’m having another son.
Yes, I’m admitting it: I really hope that baby #3 is a girl. I want to discover what it’s like to have a daughter. The thought of having three small boys running around the house together is overwhelming, especially since this pregnancy was unplanned and my two youngest children will be so close in age. I imagine that a daughter would be less disruptive to the relationship that my sons have with each other. I also think that a baby girl might take a bit less energy for me to handle. I already have my hands incredibly full!
My theory is that once I go through nine months of pregnancy and however many hours of labor I have in store, I’ll be so happy to have given birth finally that either gender will be fine. But if I find out now while I’m hormonal that I’m having another son instead of the daughter that I long for, then I’m afraid that I’ll be upset.
Apparently, I’m not the only one thinking pink. In fact, I’ve heard: “Maybe you’ll get your girl!” “I hope it’s a girl!” “Oh no, what if you have three boys!?” Even my oldest son and my husband both want a girl so badly they can’t stand it. “I already have a baby boy so this time I need a baby girl,” kid #1 told me. Way to put pressure on a pregnant woman who has absolutely NO power over what gender her baby is. I feel like if I find out that I’m having another boy, I’ll be letting everyone down and the rest of the pregnancy will be a disappointment to them.
Of course, I can’t control what anyone else thinks or feels. But, I am hoping that by waiting until the baby is born to find out the gender, the rest of my family will be less disappointed if their girl dreams don’t come true. My hope is that, like me, they will get attached to the baby during the time that I’m pregnant…and love the baby no matter what.
I know that all I should really care about is having a healthy baby. And ultimately, I do. But, I’m being really honest here, so I’ll just say it again: I hope that baby #3 is a girl.
Can anyone out there relate to how I’m feeling?
